Who Said A Squid Can't Love?
by TheLovelyCorpseBride
Summary: Squid is out of CGL, and trying to start fresh with his mother, his life, & his old highschool before he got sent away to CGL. He was a sophomore, & still is. He meets an unlikely friend as he comes to her rescue; the two are semi-opposite of eachother, but end up becoming great friends & end up falling for each other. Mild cursing, some drug references, Magnet & violence included.
1. Unlikely Hero Within a Delinquent

_**HEY JUST TO START THIS OFF. THIS IS MY FIRST STORY AND THE IDEAS HAVE BEEN RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD FOR WEEKS NOW. YES I DO ACCEPT CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM AND TIPS OR IDEAS, BUT ALSO KNOW THAT I HAVE A PLAN AND IF YOU DO SUBMIT ANY IDEAS OR WRITE ANY REVIEWS WITH AN IDEA, I MAY CHANGE IT UP A BIT. THAT IS IF I GET ONE OF THOSE. I STILL DON'T KNOW. I'M QUITE NEW TO THIS THING. OH YEAH AND RATTLER HIGH IS NOT REAL. IF IT IS, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY IDEA IT EXISTED. I DON'T OWN HOLES, SQUID/ALAN, CGL(CAMP GREEN LAKE), CONVERSE, ANY CLOTHING BRANDS OR ANY BRANDS REALLY, ETC. OH YEAH AND MOST OF THE LAST NAMES I USE ARE REAL, GOTTEN OFF A WEBSITE OF COMMON LAST NAMES AND THAT STUFF. MS BERK WAS GOING TO BE MS BELCHER FOR A FEW MINUTES. BELCHER IS A REAL LAST NAME IN GERMANY. I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST ANY NAME, SURNAME, OR ANY RACE, SO PLEASE DO NOT TAKE ANY POSSIBLE CRUEL THINGS LITERAL, BECAUSE MOST OF THE THINGS I SAY ARE JUST TO "FILL IN THE HOLES."**_**  
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**Who Said A Squid Can't Love?**

SQUID'S POV:

Okay so, here we go again. Out of hell known as Camp Green Lake, but about to probably get into more at home with a drunken mother. That is, if she is home and not at a bar like usual. I don't know what it is. A drug that can make someone feel so good, yet the others around them so bad. Especially me being the one feeling bad. My real name's Alan but at CGL I was known as 'Squid,' one of the toughest guys you do not want to upset. I like marine animals, I want to go into Marine Biology when I'm in college, so maybe that's how the nickname started. I kind a like the name though. It suits me. I got into CGL because I skipped school a lot, broke into houses and stole loose change and soda cans, because my mother well, she was no help when it came to feeding me. Right now I need to finish my last two years of High school, and I'm seventeen and bigger than all the other kids and of course a lot tougher. This should be interesting.

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**BACK IN TOWN**

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**SQUID'S POV: **_I remember these streets, _I thought to myself. I walked down the streets, leaving the dingy, yellow-ish, rusted "school bus." I walked to the bad part of town. I found it. A single house, a one floor, creaky, old wooden house, that has the attic window boarded up. Yeah, that right there. That was my humble abode from which I packed not many clothes and left to Hell. I walked into the unfenced property and opened the door that didn't swing right on its hinges.

**NARRATOR: **It made a loud creaking noise and Alan's mother, asleep on the dirty couch, woke up. She looked him up and down. She then said, "Alan...?" she blinked her brown eyes and walked up, somewhat dizzy. She had just snapped out of her hangover from last night. She stared him down again and said, "You got so big... I got your letter. I forgive you," a well of tears started to bubble up in her eyes, "and I'm sorry to. I was never there for you. After you were three I started taking drugs and drinking to forget your father. I got so emotional I would take out all of my anger in love and in life, out on you." The tears burst out from her eyes that make this look like it was the first time she's felt regret. Regret other than making Alan. Alan slowly approached his mother, he was afraid she was going to smash an empty alcohol bottle on his head like it was all some big joke. Then very slowly, he pat her shoulder and she practically leaped into her son's arms. He held her in a hug and said, "I love you mom."

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**RATTLER HIGH**

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**SQUID'S POV: **I was walking on the campus one day. Mindin' my business. Everybody was staring at me. The seniors who knew me before I got sent to "Hell" were all staring at me. I kept walking and minding my business. The blond cheerleader captain who got held a year back and is still a junior because of it, stared at me to. _Why was that? Why was I eye-candy now? _I thought. I got a whole bunch of stares and purr's followed by winks from the girls and glares from the guys. I guess people want a bad boy, or want to be one. Well trust me (which if you knew my past it'll be hard to do), bad boys suck. When people think of you as bad, they blame you for their screw ups, and misbehaviour. I knew that was going to happen fast. That's why I'm going to keep moving on. My mom forgives me, she gave me a speech that I'd never thought I'd hear. Now all the detainees of CGL were sent home and back to school. I'm promising this to everybody, I know or once knew. _I'll move on, and start fresh. _

Here in Rattler High, its got a mascot I'm really familiar with. Rattlesnakes. Its in Texas, and its pretty much your average high school. Here you got your jocks, geeks, freaks, preps, 'bad boys' who seem to reel in a lot of desperate girls despite their terrible acting skills, bullies, loners, friendly students, teacher's pets, attitude students, girly girls, rebels, punks, nice guys, jerks, and cheerleaders. Well really, the list goes on and on. But when you think about it, its just an average school.

I walked inside the halls, I didn't have to move or make room for anybody. They all did for me in three seconds flat. More cat-calls from girls and angry glares from jocks, and one from that fake bad boy who was getting all the attention just about a minute ago. I looked to the left of the hallway. An innocent girl was being pushed against a locker by a dumb jock. She looked to be in my current grade, a short sophomore, with big dark brown eyes and small spectacles that rest on her small nose. She had long, shiny, straight hair that was charcoal black, and pale skin. She wasn't like the other girls no, she wore a green tank top and a loose, white button-down shirt over it, the top a bit open to show the tank. She wore slightly worn blue capris, and black converse. She had an hour glass figure but was still really thin, and her face with her small tiny lips (she didn't wear make up) and her short height, resembled a doll. A cute one. So she was cute, and actually was cute without dressing inappropriately. Now being brought into reality, she looks like a defenseless doll being assaulted by a jock who never learned how to treat women. Or toys. Yes, I'm a delinquent, and I take better care of girls than this guy does. And right now, I feel like stepping up to this jock and giving him a taste of his own violence. Plus, its a good way to go. Standing up for a girl who was being assaulted. I was here as a sophomore two years ago, and I _know _this school. The teachers don't do nothing. They sit around, and do their job. Which is teaching a whole bunch of teenagers materials for college coming up. Not breaking up a fight or an argument.

**NARRATOR: **The girl looked up at the jock, there was a look of horror across her face. She tried to squirm around and say as loud as she can with her soft voice (which is not very loud), "Let me go! Please!" She was too small, and no match for a jock whos been taking sports his whole life. He just shoved her harder into the lockers to get the message he wasn't finished yet.

"What's wrong, nerd? Not strong enough to fight back yet? Man, even all the girly girls are tougher than you!" the jock insulted, "Abbey, get a grip!" He banged her against the locker once more, till the halls grew rather quiet and the windows casted a shadow hovering above Abbey, the small sophomore who held her eyes shut tight and her jaw clenched to avoid any more incoming pain.

The shadow caused her to relax and open her eyes, she looked up to see a tall, brooding delinquent hovering over her, and a good few inches over the jock. Every one in the halls was staring at him to. He was chewing on a toothpick. He had straight white teeth and dark brown hair with brown eyes. He was tan and wore a white T-shirt with torn, worn-out jeans and black high-tops from converse. He leaned down closer to the jock and said with his southern drawl rolling his deep tough voice into a threat, "You better let her go." His long, sharp, ragged toothpick he whittled himself with a knife, almost poked the jock with its sharp end.

The jock rolled his eyes, "What happens if I don't?" he asked rather stupidly. The next second, Squid straightened up, flicked the toothpick hanging out of the left side of his mouth to the right side and decked him in the face, causing him to drop Abbey to the tile floor with a thud. The jock fell backwards and got up, and tried to swing back. Squid grabbed his hand and twisted it, then while the jock flinched in pain, Squid kicked him back in the stomach letting go of his hand, and making him fall back a few feet from where he last stood. The jock tried to get up. He finally realized he couldn't win this fight no matter how hard he tried. He got up unsteadily, and hobbled over to the nurse's office with a bloody nose, hurt hand and wrist, and a bruise on his stomach.

Abbey watched amazed, shocked and slightly scared at how this guy just took on the jock that always bullied her and made him go away, fearing his life. She looked up at Squid with a shocked expression that read, "Did you just beat that jerk to a pulp?!" Squid looked down at her and said in a calming tone, "Are ya' okay?" He bent down and held out his large hand compared to her small bony one.

She blinked and then said, "I'm fine now. Thanks so much uh... um... You look familiar. Were you a sophomore two years ago?"

"Yeah. I'm Alan, and I got sent to a juvenile correction facility two years ago as a sophomore. I'm supposed to be a senior now but, I missed two years so I gotta' make up these couple years. Yeah I'm two years older, but who honestly cares about age any more? There's a whole bunch of underage drinkers anyway." Alan said, trying to make a most normal conversation as possible.

"Agreed. I never liked drug addicts, especially underaged ones. My father drinks a lot... and I do mean a lot. Well I think all those times I thought I saw you around in previous years were true. I remember you. Now I'm a sophomore to. Well thanks a million Alan." Abbey smiled. She took Alan's large hand as he helped her up. Abbey was short, Squid was tall. She barely made it to his chest. She was weak, he was tough. She was brainy, and he was street-smart, but not exactly book-smart. _Maybe opposites do attract? _she thought to herself as her and Squid were making conversation.

"My mother drinks to. So your name is?" Squid asked, looking down at Abbey.

"Huh? Oh, sorry! My name's Abbey. But usually people call me that wimp, or that nerd." She said, her thoughts interrupted at Squid's question.

"Nice name. If you want you can call me Squid," he chuckled and then continued on with the conversation, "Who's homeroom are you in?"

"Squid? Eh alright. Well Squid, my homeroom is Berk." Abbey said, suppressing a giggle.

"Mine to. Want to walk there together? I'm still learning about half the school." He joked.

Abbey smiled and playfully nudged his shoulder. "I'd like that, Squid." She never made such an unlikely friend. Yet you could tell, she honestly was enjoying it.

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_**AND SO THE TWO FRIENDS, ABBEY AND SQUID WALK TO HOMEROOM TOGETHER. THANK YOU FOR READING MY FIRST EVER CREATED CHAPTER! **_


	2. Abbey's Delinquent Friend

_**THANKS FOR READING MY FIRST CHAPTER, REALLY APPRECIATE IT**_**. **

**NARRATOR: **Abbey and Squid walked to homeroom together. Abbey pointed out classrooms that she had and reading his schedule, found that most of them he was in to. She pointed out clubs and other things and Squid followed closely along with his eyes and took mental notes.

**ABBEY'S POV: **He's such a good listener. Usually you'd expect a juvenile delinquent to say, "Hey whatever. I don't care, just show me to my class." But then again, he seems different. I mean seriously, he did stand up for me, talked with me, and helped me. So far he seems like a perfect guy. Except for the delinquent part… Hey! Maybe I should ask him about any flaws he knows of? Wait that's really awkward… But if he sticks as your friend afterwards then he's totally a keeper. Know what? I'm going to ask him! "Hey Squid?" He turned his head down to me and blinked, "This may seem awkward but do you have _any _flaws, at all? Because you just ripped that guy to shreds and treated me with respect." I slightly blushed, not knowing what answer to expect.

Then he stopped walking and looking stunned for a second. Then he started to laugh out super loud, and I do mean _super_ loud. I blushed a little more. He had a good laugh though, its just that, somebody as rough and tough or hard-as-nails, like him, you'd never expect a huge laugh out of. Especially if its normal, and not demonic.

He was still laughing and looked at me with a huge grin on his face. "Y-you thought I was flawless?" he tried to say through his laughing, "Nobody's flawless, especially me!" He kept on laughing really loud and I blushed a deep crimson red. We were the center of attention in the halls, something I hate. He went on, calming his laughter, "Well I am short tempered, that's one. I can be a loud mouth that's two. I can also be very violent to guys that piss me off that's three." He started to laugh again really hard. Those flaws my parents won't approve of… But he seems really nice and sincere. I just never thought a bad boy or delinquent would come to my rescue in my time of need and make one of my only friends. Seriously, this was new, I had no idea this could happen to me honestly. Maybe he could help me out by improving my reputation?

**SQUID'S POV: **HAHAHAHAHA, she's funny! Or was she being serious…? She thinks I'm flawless? Heh heh…HAHAHAHAHA! That's so new, this girl could seriously be a good friend. And even better maybe she could help me out with improving my reputation. I stopped laughing after noticing she was looking at me nervously and blushing red. I looked around, everybody was staring at us. Did I embarrass her? Great, say good bye to that new rep. "Eh.. Sorry." I said. I guess she doesn't like being the focus of attention either. She stopped blushing and cleared her throat. She turned around and kept walking so I followed closely behind.

A few minutes after walking in silence we stopped. "Here we are, Ms. Berk." She said.

"Thanks…" I said, "you never gave me your reply." I said.

"What?" She looked confused.

"I forgive you, or go away." I continued. She looks confused. _When was the last time she said any of those words? Received an apology, even? _

"Huh? Oh… right. I forgive you." She smiled. I kind of expected that. Hesitation, yeah but mostly the forgiving part. She seems like the person who doesn't have the heart to tell somebody to "back off."

**NARRATOR: **Abbey and Squid walked up to Ms. Berk, a plump, mid-aged woman with maroon red hair, red lipstick, brown eyes the color of espresso, and a mean-sounding, raspy bark. "Ms. Berk, I found your new student, Alan." Abbey said shyly.

"Alan, eh? I heard you were a delinquent. Abbey seems to be friends with somebody like you, and Abbey doesn't have any friends. So I guess it would just be best that Abbey show you around school and you sit next to her in Home room. Abbey you will be showing him the ropes here. Understood?" She went on in her cold, authority, voice.

"Yes ma'am." Abbey said quickly and sounding somewhat fearful.

"Alan I also looked at your schedule and Abbey's schedule online. You two have Gym, Art, History, Spanish and of course Home room together already. Abbey I'm going to move you to all basic learning this year so you can show Alan the basics, okay? On the bright side, some one as smart as you couldn't possibly fail finals, huh? I also looked up your locations, and you live about only half hour by walking, away from each other. Quite close distance! So I guess Abbey, you can also tutor him if he needs it. I have a feeling that you two are going to be best friends somehow, just it'll be hilarious 'cause you two are pretty much opposites." Ms. Berk said. It'll be a lot better if her voice wasn't so… cruel-sounding. She was trying to be nice which is highly unlike her though, which is something fellow Rattler students don't see often.

Abbey blushed, looking shocked at what just happened. She said to Ms. Berk and smiled, " I won't let you down ma'am!"

Ms. Berk sat back down on her chair and said, "Good, good, and that's why you're my favorite student. Now sit down you two. I'll let you two talk to get situated. Homeroom is over at 7:30am. You must be in Homeroom by 7:15am. You have 5 minutes passing time in the halls, and school ends at 2:45pm. The last day of school is May 30. That's all you need to know for now."

Abbey went over all the other rules and small yet equally important rules, and the unwritten ones that are also just as important.

_**THANKS FOR READING MY SECOND CHAPTER! **_

**EXTRA SCENE (NARRATOR): **

Squid laughed really loud as they walked to class together. "F-f-flawless!?" he could barely say with his constant laughing, "isn't it a little early to be confessing your crush?"

Abbey blushed and yelled, "What!?" Crush? What do you mean?"

Squid laughed, "I mean since I stepped in you've been all googly-eyed on me."

"W-what? Have not!" Abbey blushed again.

"It's okay you don't have to tell me about your feelings, I already know." Squid joked.

"Know what?" Abbey said.

"That you think I'm hot." Squid joked.

"No I don't! Quit putting words in my mouth!" Abbey said.

"It's okay, I know everything." Squid said laughing.

"Like what?" Abbey said.

"That you _loooove _me." Squid laughed.

"Shut up, already!" Abbey shouted, while blushing.


	3. The Two Delinquents and Their Geek

_**THANKS FOR MAKING IT TO THE THIRD CHAPTER XD. I KNOW I DIDN'T DO MY BEST ON THE SECOND CHAPTER, BUT THIS IS BETTER! PROBABLY. XD I DECIDED TO ADD MAGNET, CAUSE HE'S A REALLY COOL CHARACTER TO. :P (SORRY TO ALL YOU ZIGZAG FANS, 'CAUSE I DIDN'T ADD HIM XD) OH YEAH AND EVERGLOTTE IS A LAST NAME I GOT OFF TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE. I OWN NOTHING FROM HIM, I JUST SIMPLY LOVE THE SURNAME. I ALSO SPELLED IT DIFFERENTLY, TO SO... PLEASE DON'T SHOUT AT ME XD.**_

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**MAGNET'S POV: **Complete honesty, I am psyched. I got out of "hell!" I'm going to miss D-Tent though. I know why they called it hell... 'Cause it was. It was hot as hell out there, and the counselors treated us like hell. I walked down the streets to get me adjusted to the city again, and when I saw a pet store with a puppy looking into the window I just couldn't help but to hear Squid's voice. _"__Yeah, tell em' Magnet! Guy wanted a thousand bucks, for just one puppy." _Squid was hilarious, I wonder how he's doing. I looked at the puppy in the window again, and another thought came to my head. _I would'a made it out, if my pockets didn't start barkin.' _So I thought better to myself before stealing another pet. I don't want to end up in any desert digging holes in the hard-packed dirt again. Especially when I'm about only 6-8 inches above the hole. Squid was about a foot and a few inches above the holes we dug, ZigZag was way above the holes we dug, Armpit was a lot shorter than Squid, and X-Ray was inbetween Squid and Armpit's height. I was a bit taller than X-Ray. There's about three sections of town, bad part which is mostly low class and where there are a lot of robberies and crime, okay part which is like low class to middle class, and the great part where all the rich snobs live. I think I was in the great part when I was shopping for that dog, and that's why the guy wanted a thousand bucks for the puppy.

Anyways, so I got home and my madre gave me a burrito in a brown paper bag for lunch, and she dropped me off at the school I'm supposed to go to. Which apparently is called, "RATTLER HIGH" and their mascot almost killed Barf bag when he was at CGL.

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**THIRD PERIOD, RATTLER HIGH**

**SQUID'S POV:** "_C'MON! _JUST HIT IT ALREADY!" I shouted to Abbey when she was stuck at home plate, with a heavy wooden bat in her hands and the ball, still sitting on the T. I facepalmed as she swung it and hit the T instead of the ball. She was blushing a deep, bright red. Then she tightened her grip, and swung her arms back, and foward with all her might. But her grip ain't that great. The bat flew right out of her hand and started straight for the Coach's face. Lucky him, seeing it and ducking just in time. If he didn't, he would've been a dead man. Or atleast _really _drowsy or loopy. Mom lost it at CGL after he got hit in the head with that shovel. Haha, that was hilarious. I was laughing like hell right now, at how the bat flew right out of her hand. Coach gave her a lighter bat and told her to hold on as tight as she could, 'cause the schoolboard does not want any broken faces. When we were walking in to get dressed, Coach told Abbey as punishment she had to run a lap in under three minutes. I stood back and watched, it took her less than a minute, which is something I seriously did not expect. My mouth fell as she whipped through the track. Even coach looked a bit shocked as he told her the time she got. Well I guess the geek had to be good at atleast _something _physical.

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**MAGNET'S POV: **The front office gave me my schedule, a late pass, and a small introduction. They even assigned a kid to help me out. They told me her name was _"Abbey Everglotte." _Interesting name. Definitely not hispanic. The lady at the front desk told me I had all my classes with her due to some unexpected schedule change, so that was why she chose her. She also said that she was great help, and that she was giving another kid by the first name of _"__Alan" _a tour to. _Alan? Where have I heard that name before...? _She told me to find my fourth period and go there and I would find Abbey.

So I was walking to fourth period, which happened to be Spanish, my best subject. And guess who I saw? I saw _Squid, _and I could tell it was him because he was almost a foot taller than me and was chewing on a ragged toothpick. His hair looks clean instead of dusty and wasn't carrying the stink of sweat, but also long and shaggy with many layers. His bangs pretty much covered his eyes, kind a like he hasn't gotten a hair cut in more than two years. _Oh wait..._

_"WHAT THE? HE'S WALKING WITH A GIRL? AND NOT ANY GIRL, A GEEK... that's quite unexpected of Squid..." _I thought. I just shrugged it off though and walked up to him. I said, "Yo! D-Tent!" and held out my hand for a high five.

Squid looked around like he was hearing things, he turned around and his eyes grew wider when he saw me. "Hey its Magnet!" He said, returning my high five.

_"Another one?" _Abbey thought to herself as she stared at them blankly.

Me and Squid kept talkin' and were interrupted when the little girl with the glasses held up her wrist for us to see. She said, "We got 57 seconds before we're late."

"Go ahead, I got a pass." I said. They took off like the wind, the geek being surprisingly fast. Squid being fast... _Eh, didn't surprise me._

**SQUID'S POV: **Abbey practically ran into the classroom and tripped, falling flat on her face. I stopped just in time, I was right at her heels, and I did not want to fall on top of her. _I wanna' to be a normal student, but I also don't wanna' be a laughin' stock, either._ The whole class laughed at her. She didn't cry or do anything. She just shrugged it off, and slumped down in her seat like usual. _Does she get bullied often? _I couldn't help but think. I took my seat behind her and watched as she took off her glasses and dusted them off with her shirt.

"Okay... Nice sprint kids. I never would've expected someone like _Abbey_ beating a delinquent in a race." Mrs. Castro said as we sat down.

I rolled my eyes. _See? When you've been a delinquent once', you're a delinquent forever. _

Abbey shook her head and sighed. She continued to clean off her glasses with her shirt. I can't see if she rolled her eyes to or not, 'cause I sit right behind her. _I feel kind of bad; even the teachers pick on her. Sure she's a runt, but she's still a good student. _

Then the late bell rung, and Mrs. Castro went on and on and on. _Blah, blah, blah _was seriously all I heard out of her cruel mouth and from her bright pink lipstick covered fish-lips. Mrs. Castro wasn't skinny, she was plump and chubby. Her fake dyed bleach-blond hair was curled to bouncy ringlets and her eyelids were covered in a shade of vomit-green. I was suppressing the urge to open my mouth and point my finger to it signaling, _You're making me gag. _I thought it be better not to though, especially considerin' my rep right now.

She told us to write "Madre y Padre" and then write the english translation. I tapped Abbey's shoulder and asked if I could borrow a pencil. And paper of course. She opened up her black three ring binder, where everything was so neatly organized, she pulled out a pre-sharpened pencil from a case full of them and handed one to me. She then pulled apart the rings and got me ten sheets and told me to keep all the sheets of paper and the pencil she gave me.

As soon as I started writing down "Madre" Magnet walked in and Mrs. Castro told him to sit down in the empty seat next to me. _I seriously don't get how Mrs. Castro is a Mrs. If I was her husband, I'd honestly leave her for Ms. Berk. _I joked around in my thoughts. I honestly don't know what Madre y Padre is. Maybe I could ask Magnet 'cause he's good at spanish, right?

"Hey Mag-" I started to say.

"NO TALKING! _SILENCIO, SILENCE_!" She shouted at us near the back of the classroom.

I blinked and then looked back down on my paper. The only thing I'm going to get right, is my _name. _That is though, if I don't use my nickname.


	4. Need to get Adjusted

**LUNCH PERIOD, RATTLER HIGH**

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**SQUID'S POV: **I can tell we were getting on Abbey's nerves. This whole time she was giving us a tour 'round the school, while me and Magnet weren't even payin' attention. We talked and joked around. All of a sudden when we were walking outside near the track, she stopped with her head down. Me and Mag' halted to a skid afraid of running over her at the last minute.

"Hey, what's wrong chicka?" Magnet said.

"Maybe it'd be best to just leave you two to talking and catching up with each other. I can go study in the library mean while. If you need me, the library is upstairs on the second floor next to the cactus garden. But there's no horseplay there because the school doesn't want anybody covered in thorns, got it?" She turned around and looked up at us with those huge brown eyes and small, clear glasses.

I shrugged. "You can join us in our conversation y'know?" I joked. I kept the directions in mind in case Magnet's stories of animals got old. But seriously, I doubt I'll be able to find my way to the library. _I just hope this library isn't full of shovels, _I thought to myself.

Magnet elbowed me on the shoulder and laughed. "She wouldn't understand, man" he said.

Abbey shook her head. "He's right, I honestly wouldn't understand. Most of the time, I don't have a clue what comes out of your mouth, Squid," she giggled then sighed, "Well I'll see you guys in period six after the lunch period is over." She walked off silently and opened the door to go back inside the school.

Me and Magnet sat on a bleacher next to the track and football field. He asked me about that girl who I hang out with.

"Abbey? She's my mentor, kind of" I said.

"That's kind of funny, I was supposed to be given an orientation by some girl named Abbey. What's her last name?" Magnet asked.

"Don't know," I shrugged, "question never really popped up." I turned to Magnet, "Why do you want to know?" I bit the toothpick in my mouth.

"The lady at the desk told me that I had all my classes with some girl named Abbey Everglotte due to some unexpected schedule change," Magnet shrugged, "and that she was the one who is supposed to give me the orientation around school and stuff."

A lightbulb flashed through my foggy head right now. "Yeah, that's her alright." I said, flicking the toothpick to the other side of my mouth with my tongue. _She's got an interesting last name. Definitely not from around here. _

"Oh that's good, for a second, I thought you guys were a thing," he said, "not that there's anything wrong with that, its just... y'know, you two are opposites."

I spat out the toothpick in my mouth and looked really shocked for a moment. Then I broke out very hardly in unbridled laughter. "You thought I was dating that girl?" I laughed, "No way! She's not my type." _But then again, I have never been on a date before so I got no idea what my type is. Honestly, girls didn't really like me and neither did guys. If anything, they hated me, how I was different. How I did crimes and how they stayed home and studied. Now two years later, people are really into the bad boy, the rebel, or the mysterious type. Funny how fast things change._

Magnet blinked and then asked, "What is your type then?"

I stopped laughing. "I really don't know," I shrugged, "maybe a girl I don't have to worry about breaking y'know? Would you ever see me with an overly-sensitive girl who's just about as fragile as glass?"

"Well I guess I could see you with one. Anyone could be with one, really. Just depends on how ya' treat 'em or so. Uno bruto jock could probably be suave every now and then, ha?" He joked.

I nodded. I don't know if I could be gentle...Throughout most of my life it seems I have been bombarded with pain. My ma', she would beat me up, curse at me, she'd even throw bottles at me. What'd I do? Take the pain, and act like it never happened. I never yelled at her or hit her. _It's just not right to fight back at that time, y'know?_ "Yeah, I guess," I said, "hey Magnet, do you got a watch?"

"Yeah." Magnet said. He showed me the time. We got five minutes before the bell rings and we got to go to period six.

"Want to meet up with Abbey at the library? She knows where our classes are." I grinned.

"Sure" Magnet said.

_Well that was what Magnet said. But I bet he thought I was falling the girl._

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**_ANY IDEAS ARE APPRECIATED :3. I accept constructive criticism. Thank you for the tips, friendly reviewer, I will follow them. Mostly xD. _**


	5. Pass it on, or you get passed on

**PERIOD FIVE RATTLER HIGH**

* * *

Squid's POV: I got my quiz from Spanish class back. I didn't even get my name right… Shit I forgot about my real name. Maybe I should start paying more attention in class. My other grades aren't doing great either. Then it came to me when Ms. Berk said Abbey was a great tutor.

_To Abbey, do you think you can tutor me after school today? _I wrote into a torn out piece of paper from my journal. I folded it into a paper airplane and flew it over to Abbey when Mrs. Costello's back was turned and she was writing something on the white board.

"I am available after school today." She mouthed to me, nodding while she motioned it with her mouth. She faced straight back to look at the teacher after I flashed her a slight nod.

Mrs. Costello then said, "Now class, do you get it?" Her leafy-green eyes perked up with enthusiasm as she looked over at Magnet with his hand raised. "Jose? You have a question for me?" Mrs. Costello smiled her bright pearled-whites.

"Yeah. Can you tell me the whole thing again? I just don't get it" Magnet said.

I smirked as Mrs. Costello frowned and turned back to the board and started to explain the whole equation over again. Mrs. Costello is our math teacher. She has golden hair with emerald green eyes. She's tall, and slender with pale skin. She does all areas in math, because Rattler High had budget cuts. No algebra class, no chemistry or biology class, no calculus, no extra curriculum classes, there's longer school hours and different schedules than other highschools, but more vacations, less teachers, and hardly any clubs.

Abbey asked somebody to pass the note back to me, when they were about to crumple it up, I glared at them till they finally got the message. Pass it on, or _you'll_ be passed on.

The note said, _Shall I get off the bus at your stop today? I have all my materials with me already, including change to buy a ride home from the bus. _

I quickly wrote on the back of it, _No way you're coming over. Coming over to my place ain't the best tutoring spot. Also, don't you need somebody to protect you? What if you got stolen? _I made it into another airplane and flew it at Abbey, while Mrs. Costello was explaining the equation to Magnet. For the billionth time.

Abbey caught it and then accidentally dropped it, and picked it up and hid it away before Mrs. Costello turned around to see a note in her hand. She sighed of relief as Mrs. Costello turned back to the board again and continued on with the lesson. She read the note, her face blushing at _'don't you need somebody to protect you?' _She wrote something on the note and then it eventually got passed to me.

It read, _Well I guess you could come over to my house and get off at my bus stop. My dad's always busy, and has no time for anybody anymore but himself, money, and drugs. My mom passed away when I was younger so she's not around. Since then my dad has been taking drugs so he can feel better. It never helps, all it does it make him a drunken wreck. "_Ha ha our families are kind of the same…" I muttered so only I could hear. I looked over to Abbey who was staring at me waiting for an answer. I nodded, which in return she gave me a white smile with straight teeth. A lot duller than mine, but still nice teeth.


	6. Bad past Meets Bad Past

Squid's POV: I got off from the bus with Abbey this time, she lives a lot closer to the school than I do in the okay part of town. I got out first, and turned around to watch her get off. She was doing great till some tall girl with dyed black hair pushed her off. I had to think fast, so I caught her as she fell. She thanked me while she was still in my arms and the girl behind her shot me the bird. I shot it back and called her a dumb hoe who got nothing better to do than be an ass. I put Abbey down and she just stared in awe.

"H-how are you s-s-so confident?" Abbey asked me as the other girl walked off crying to her house that's on the other side of the road, feeling sorry for herself. Abbey looked up at me and cleaned off her glasses with her collared-grey shirt. She always dressed so formal or professional, even at high school.

I shrugged. I just knew that somehow I could make something out of my horrible life. Just didn't know how exactly, so I thought maybe I was supposed to be the rebellious type who just wanted to get by in life, so I stole things to keep myself alive. Things like food or loose change from the counters of another person's house… But she didn't need to know that answer. She already knows too much as far as I'm concerned. "I just look 'em straight in the eye. I know I can take 'em." I joked.

Instead of laughing, she looked around and blinked. "I know I can't take anybody. I know I won't be able to win any fight. That is why I just try to walk away and ignore them with dignity while I still can." she sighed, "sometimes, I don't think anything will become of me. I'm how you say… smart? But, I'm wondering how far that will take me in life… Outside of the classes, I'm clueless. I don't know what to do in sports, and I don't know how I'll be able to pull it off. When it comes to friends, I don't know how-" Abbey said before she was interrupted by a whole bunch of tiny elementary kids playing tag together. Everybody's at work, so the whole block's adults are no where to be found. She looked at them having fun and sighed, "I never knew how to make friends. I'm just too different."

I blinked. She really had no confidence in herself. "Everybody's different… If you're too different then well, you're just being yourself. I think you do an awesome job of being yourself, even when everybody around you is pressuring you to become something your not. For instance, I could never see you being a bully like those other jerks." I winked at her and she blushed.

Abbey laughed. "Well that is true… but I'm usually not myself. My mom if she was still here, she'd say I need to get out of my shell." She looked depressed.

"Hey Abbey, what did happen to your mother? What's up with you and your family?" I asked.

"It's a long story… when I was about nine, I lost my mother to a car wreck. My dad, loved my mother deeply and was mourning over her death. In that time, he remembered how people use drugs to relieve stress. My dad starting taking them in hopes of forgetting her painful death. He comes home drunk every night yet, he never goes to another woman. He never started dating again. I guess when dad flew from England, which explains my surname, and met mom in Germany, he never wanted anything else. And when they had a daughter…" She pointed to herself. "they were the happiest couple on earth. All the way till she died. My mother was the best person you could ever meet. Well that's at least what I thought. They had me in Germany, and when I was about five I moved to America because I was diagnosed with a horrible illness that needed a warmer climate to get better, dad taught me English and also taught mom English. He taught me how to do your 'American accent' so I wouldn't be made fun of." She smiled. "He was also a good parent. Till of course, mom died four years later. Our beautiful family of three hasn't been the same since. Dad wrapped himself up in work, and whatever free time he had, spent it on overdosing. So I taught myself how to cook because dad was never home to feed me, or let alone clean which I also do myself. It was hard… moving from one side of the earth to the other, saying goodbye to your only friends, and then being made fun of from where you came." She bit her lip. "In fourth grade when we learned about the holocaust… Everybody looked at me with more hatred than ever. Then they kept calling me 'Nazi prodigy' till I left that school to go the middle school." She let small tears drop from her dry, big, bark-colored eyes.

I stared in shock. "Must've been hard… What about that cold again?" I looked at her wiping away a few tears and realized how strong she actually is. Usually when you'd met somebody like this, you'd think they'd cry every second.

She wiped away another tear as we walked to her house… all the way at the end of the street. "The sickness required a warmer climate so I could keep living. It's never gone away, it comes back every winter when there's snow. I can't stay outside in the cold for more than an hour. But hey Squid, I bet you've been through worse though…" she smiled at me.

"My dad abandoned me and my mom when I was only three and since then my mom has beaten me, bruised me, shattered me, and abused me, just like she does to drugs." I said. "I never remembered what being loved felt like and was fine without it. You once had it but lost it, which is hard to get adjusted to, I think yours is a bit worse."

Abbey laughed, "Not a chance! You're the one with the aggressive mother! It's better to have loved and lost than to never loved at all, did you know?" She smiled, "That means, you had the worse life" she winked.

I blushed a little. "Okay, maybe I did. But I know what you felt." I said, smiling.

"I bet you do." She laughed. She looked to the trees we passed than back at me and said, "Hey Squid, did you know that you're the best friend I never had in America?"

"Well there's a shock." I said sarcastically and nudged her arm with my elbow.

She smiled at me and laughed. She stopped and said, "Oh there it is!" She pointed to an old, Victorian styled, two-floored house with an out-of-control lawn, filled with weeds instead of a flowery garden like I'd expect from her. There was an extremely tall, rusty, wrought-iron fence that would look painful to climb. Two pillars about a few feet taller than the fence, stood with lanterns on top of them, the pillars made out of cold stone, and a wrought iron gate in between them. From beyond that, four dogs stood wagging their tails happily to see their owner, the tinier one barking happily and practically licking the gate hoping it was it's master. Abbey took an old Victorian key out of her shirt pocket.

"Is everything you have old? The only modern things about you look like your high tops." I smirked.

She laughed. "Very funny. By the way, you might wish to stand back, the dogs get very emotional when they see me, and even worse when with a stranger." She put the key into a hidden keyhole on the gate and with a loud click followed by an audible whooshing noise, the large black gate flew open and four dogs flew out, three of them being giant, while the last one being quite small. They tackled Abbey and pushed her flat onto the cracked-cement driveway. She was ready it seemed, because she threw her backpack where her head would've hit the ground with a hard thud. A white German Shepherd, a Border Collie and a golden retriever were licking her face hysterically. She laughed as one of the giant dogs, the Border Collie lay down on her stomach.

The smaller dog was a still a puppy. It was black and had a short tail, and I recognized it as a Doberman. It was barking and growling at me. I decided to back up more when it followed me, soon they all did and Abbey had to run after them shouting another language with an accent I couldn't understand. I decided to run to, because these dogs seemed too close to Abbey for if anybody was to hurt them, it would be to hurt her. I climbed up a tree when the dogs started jumping up and down trying to get up to. Abbey run into the yard and whistled, surprisingly. I really did not know she could whistle. All the dogs ran to her and she set all of them on chains around the house. She ran back to me and said, "Okay its all clear. I'm truly sorry for that, Squid."

I jumped down from the tree that was outside their gate. "No worries" I said. I looked back at the dogs barking and snarling from the perimeter of her yard. "You got a lot of dogs… and they are a lot bigger than what I'd thought I'd see you with."

She laughed and picked up her backpack from the weathered cement. "What kind of dogs you'd think I would have?"

"Something not bigger than you." I joked and messed up her hair.

She laughed and combed her hand through her shiny black hair. "My uncle gets me a dog every two years. That German Shepherd though… that was my mom's before she died. Since then, my uncle's been getting me all these dogs so he'd make me feel better and tells me that dad will still be there for me. I'm pretty sure me and you both know that's a lie."

I nodded. "What were you shouting at those dogs anyways?" I asked.

"Hmm? Oh, they respond best to German. English is my second language after all. They can understand it, but takes longer for them to react. They haven't had a visitor in forever. Sorry again." Abbey said looking up at me.

"Don't sweat it. They don't know me yet… I hope you can tutor me tomorrow also. Please?" I gave her a pout and laughed afterwards.

She chuckled and smiled. She has a great smile. "Sure, but tomorrow is Saturday, I thought you'd have plans."

"Nope. Why do _you _got any plans you're keeping a secret from me?" I laughed. She blushed. I winked at her and she blushed even more yet kept smiling… Does she have a crush on me…?

She laughed. "Nothing at all." We stared at each other for a moment, and I could almost feel the chemistry sparking… She blushed even more looking into my eyes. She tilted her head to the left and smiled. "Shall I tutor you in Math?"

I blushed a bit, lost in her brown eyes, "Um, yeah. Let's go." I said, following her.

She stopped all of a sudden in the middle of her seemingly endless drive way, looking at the dogs barking and growling at me. She didn't hit them or scream at them; I don't think she ever would or will. Instead, she took my arm and pulled me extremely close to her to my surprise and rubbed her head against my chest saying loudly while purring happily like if she was a cat, "Ich liebe dich jungs, aber dies ist meins!" I was confused and blushing a deep red. Crazily enough, all the dogs seemed to calm down and lose interest, the Border Collie even whimpered a bit. She's a hell of a dog owner, that's for sure. For a moment she stopped and we walked back into the house and into the kitchen. There's this granite island with chairs around the kitchen so we sat there with our text books. I was feeling happy that she'd take the time to tutor me. Maybe she does have a life out of school. With her dogs that is, she seems she'd do anything for them; endure those crazy welcomes every time she'd come home, never hit them, treat them like family, and take great care of them. They seemed awfully loving of her and willing to protect her at all costs. Yet something about that unexpected hug, I knew it was to shut the dogs up without saying it, but I felt it was more than that… And somehow, I know I'm a freak when I say this. But I want to do that again.


	7. Cynical Romance

**AFTER THREE MONTHS OF TUTORING**

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Narrator's POV: "Thanks Abbey! Didn't know that I missing the division part of the equation!" Squid said walking out of her door. The dogs were unchained from the house. _Shit, _he thought to myself looking at them and almost running back inside.

"Anytime, Ala- I mean Squid. Sorry about that. Hey wait! Do you need change for a bus? There should be a bus stop a mile from here," she said walking after him out the door.

"Nah I can walk. I remember how to get home from here. See ya' tomorrow here for tutoring."

"Heh okay. Wait! I was wondering, since it is Saturday tomorrow and all… maybe I could tutor you tomorrow for only about hour and then I well, I want to…" She stuttered and shuffled her right foot behind her on the wooden porch.

Squid walked up to her. "You want to do what with me…?" He said, joking.

Abbey laughed, "No! Nothing of the sort! Nicht immer!" She blushed, "There is a fall fair to raise money for orphans. Come with me to the fall fair after tutor?"

Squid grinned, "You're asking me out aren't you…?"

"WHAT! No!" She blushed even more, "since I have a human friend now… I am just wondering if you wanted to come with me…? I most definitely have nobody to go with. My dogs are my greatest friends, but I can't take them without them threatening to kill somebody now can I? Also… if I go alone… what is the fun? I bet I'll run into some of those jocks to. They'll just bully me and it will be no fun at all, right?"

"Oh, so now I'm your body guard?" Squid winked at Abbey, "you know that's why you got dogs for isn't it? Bullies come and then they maim them for ya'?"

"What? No!" Abbey pleaded, "please Squid? Your friend Magnet can even meet us there."

"Ah, double protection. I see how it is!" He joked, "I'll take you there, milady, Magnet doesn't need to show up." He winked, "I'll come around twelve for our tutorin' session. I'll find money for wrist bands so we can ride as many rides as we can, and you can bring money for food and some fair games. Sound good?"

Abbey nodded and blushed. She watched Squid turn the latches and the gate flew open, and he waved goodbye. Then all of a sudden, the suspicious Doberman pup ran over to Squid. Abbey was about to dash after it until she saw it put its forepaws on Squid's shin, standing up and friendly bark at him, his tail wagging. She smiled and thought to herself, _At least I am good at something; parenting my "kids." _Right after she thought that, the Golden Retriever jumped onto her knocking her onto her back, and started playing with her, followed by the white German Shepherd and the Border Collie.

Squid looked at the puppy, the one almost half way grown, and scratched behind his ears. He never pet a dog before. He left, closing the gates and the pup ran back to join the other dogs and Abbey with their 'love fest.'

Squid thought to himself filled with pride, _my first date… with my first real friend, who is seeming to turn into… my first crush. _He shook off the thoughts, filling his brain instead with, 'I'm just there to protect her from bullies.' He would do it though, because… he likes her. Even though he's not ready to admit it, she is his first crush. All those times he was convincing himself it wasn't a date and she wasn't interested it just turned back to, _why do you care? Because you like her, it's so obvious… _He took it off his mind as he walked down the long road. Squid couldn't have a crush, he was still a tough delinquent. On the outside he was, but inside, he was bleeding. He wants to change it all. He's happy his mother drinks tea instead of booze now, and happy he saved a girl from a beating. Not happy of the fact that the girl did nothing to flirt, and she was already stuck in his mind and finding a way into his heart. He couldn't get it off his chest. He wants to be loved yet he doesn't want it… Talk about a cynical romantic, eh?


	8. Clean Until Pristine

**THE NEXT DAY AT NOON**

* * *

Abbey's POV: I found myself sprinting to the gate after Squid rang the buzzer that's kind of like a gate doorbell. It's a button on the gate pillar that lets the house know when somebody wants in. I had my key in my grey trench coat's pocket for when we get back, and wallet in the other. I had black boots with no heel and the sides were narrow incase I had to run away from someone if Squid was gone. I wore black stockings so my legs wouldn't rub together too quickly if I ran, and get chaffing thighs. And I made sure to brush my hair out a bit more, because… _what if it was a date? _I then took the hair out of my face and pulled it back with a fake-golden hair clip my mother gave me. It had anchors on it and a chain design going all around it. I absolutely loved that clip as much as my own dogs, because in all honesty I am fascinated by the sea.

I turned the latches and the gate opened. Squid came up to me in a grey and black striped hood with faded blue jeans, not as baggy as the pair he wore yesterday, but still just as ripped and torn. He wore black work boots covered with dust and caked with dirt instead of his worn-out high tops. Squid walked up to me and greeted me. I was starting to freak out though. I was not only nervous about the 'date' but I was nervous about… his boots! Yes I will admit it, I can get dirty, but I can't stay that way! I don't enjoy being dirty, or seeing other things dirty. This lawn has been bugging me forever. But whenever I go get the machete to try to chop it all off I remember how angry my father would be if he found out I was tidying up the yard yes, but with a dangerous rusted-old blade.

"What's wrong?" Squid asked as he saw me gapping at his boots.

"Hmm? Nothing. It's just, you'll need to take those off before you enter," I said quickly. I dusted off my glasses.

"Why? You a neat freak?" He joked.

"Uh y-ye-yes" I blushed.

"Alright." He said looking a bit surprised I admitted. When we were at the door he stomped his feet against the mat. "Is that better?" He said with an air of sarcasm.

"No, take them off and I'll clean them up when you're getting ready for tutoring." I said. He sighed and took off his boots. I picked them both up and we walked in, "They will be good as new in about five minutes, okay?"

He nodded as he sat at the kitchen island like yesterday, except this time earlier of the day. I walked off and watched him from the utility room. He got out his math textbook, his math notebook, and the same pencil I gave him.

I rolled up my sleeves and got a scrubbing brush that would be for bathing from a bottom cabinet under the sink. I put his boots in the deep sink and turned on warm water, good for killing germs and not hot enough to ruin the boots. I got laundry detergent and used it as soap, scrubbing the boots till they shined like new. Seeing all the dirt and mud come right off into the drain was enough for me to be convinced his boots did need a good cleaning. I glanced at Squid and he was reading the text book, studying. I smiled with pride as I got a towel from another cabinet and dried off his boots.

I walked up to Squid sitting at the island and kneeled down, putting the dry boots on his bare feet. He looked down as I spat on them and shined them with the same towel. "Thanks…" he said quietly. He didn't seem to be joking at all when he said that.

I smiled and hugged him. "No problem" I said happily. He looked a bit taken aback for a moment and was blushing pink. Then he put his long arms around my back and hugged me as well. His hands may be rough from callus and bumps where blisters could be felt, but he still had the warmest hug.

I haven't gave a hug or received one in forever.

And I'm sure neither did he.


	9. Bus Ride of Chemistry

Abbey's POV: Squid and I were sitting on the bus together. He left his backpack with his school stuff at my house up in my bedroom, and I didn't have to leave a note for my father that I would be at the fair with a friend. That would've made him proud mentioning I had a friend. But I didn't need to, it was early October and he was away on a business trip till late December.

"Can I come over for tutoring tomorrow as well?" Squid asked me while I was staring silently out the window.

"Tomorrow? Well, first I have a proposal for you Squid" I replied.

"Ooh, I never knew the full of your love Abbey" He joked.

I laughed, "pfft. Not that proposal. I mean a deal or opportunity." I sat up straight and faced him. I took off my glasses and wrapped them in a protective cloth. I put them in one of my coat's pockets. "You have seen the yard haven't you?"

He nodded.

"Well my father would kill me if I tried to do something about it, because he doesn't want me messing around with a machete. Not literal when I say kill. Anyway, I was wondering if you could help me with it. The house I live in is the oldest in the town, so people just call it a piece of dumb history. I was thinking, maybe you and I can fix it up? The lawn, the leaks in the roof, the creaking stairs and breaking floor boards. I will pay you $30 for the job every week you work on it. Please, Squid?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I'll come back to you on that. But the pay is good I'll tell you that." He winked, "is food included?" He laughed.

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "Yes. After school till early sunset every day and if you come on weekends I pay extra working from 10:30AM to 6:30PM."

"How much extra?" He smirked.

"$10 each day. And if you want to stay afterwards for some tutoring, I could make that work."

"$50 for 7 days? Count me in. I'll stay later than usual though, cause without you tutoring me my grades are going to drop." He laughed.

"It is a deal." I smiled and held out my hand for hand shake. He shook it and smiled at me. His hands enveloped mine, they were bigger, and his skin was rough and scratchy feeling. He has callus maybe from all the blisters that have been on his hands. I could still feel more blisters. I squeezed his hand softly and he grimaced in a small shrivel of pain. I must've made one of his blisters worse. "Oh I am so sorry Alan! I mean Squid! How's your hands? May I see them, please?"

He showed me his open palms. On the heel of his hand, callus made it hard and rough. His fingers felt like sandpaper due to blisters and his knuckles bulged out red. I never noticed that. I carefully run my index finger around his hands. "How'd this happen?" I asked worriedly.

He sighed and took his right hand away from me and used it to rub the back of his neck instead. "Diggin' holes all day in the hot desert sun for a year and three months. The sun gives you sun burn," he carefully slid his hand through the hood of his jacket and pulled his shirt away to reveal a broad, red, sore left shoulder. "Never leave your shoulders uncovered in the desert, that's why the rest of the time before Caveman bailed us all out, I wore T-shirts. Makes it harder to dig, especially if you're you, and the hole's only three inches shorter than you Abbey." He laughed.

"Why would you have done that?" I asked curiously.

_"Oh right I never told you about 'Hell' yet," _Squid said sarcastically. "Well you see Abbey, I'm a delinquent. I come from a juvenile detention center called Camp Green Lake where every delinquent was sent to with a choice of jail or the Camp. You are sentenced eighteen months there, but about 15 months in some guy in my tent got the place shut down for good. The name was a lie because there absolutely was no lake. It was a desert, a dry, dry, _dry _desert. I was the second toughest guy there and me and Magnet stayed in D-Tent. You can ask Magnet if you don't believe me" he said, proud.

"I believe you" I giggled. "Seeing you fight like that; _amazing. _I would hate to see the toughest guy." I winked and bumped my fist playfully to his arm.

_Did she, she… did she just really… wink? It was adorable, her right chocolate brown eye winking at me… I guess this really is a date and she does like me…, _Squid thought to himself. He smiled, "thanks." He nudged my shoulder softly. "Ya' think so?"

"I _know _so Squid!" I smiled at him and he smiled back. There was a silence where I swore I could hear my heart beat. I was scared that maybe he could hear it to. I could stare into his brown eyes forever. Then all of a sudden, Squid leaned in closer to me. I thought we were going to actually kiss when the bus stopped abruptly and my head knocked into his chest. "Sorry!" I said.

"It's alright" He said, blushing. "Do you have any medication or something for my hands and shoulders?" _He wondered if Abbey could also give his body a break from being sore and aching from all the holes he'd dug._

I nodded. "Oh yes, I will help you out with that Squid! When we get back I can apply some on you."

"I also wondered if I could stay the night. Ma' said she won't be back till 2am due to late working hours and she got the house key. So she told me to find a place to crash before she left... sorry I didn't tell ya' earlier," he asked.

"You are going to crash my house!?" I asked confused.

"No! I mean stay over the night; sleep, eat, bathe?" He said. "Its an expression. Anyways, its just for tonight. I'll try not to bug you too much."

"I guess. Dad's away on a business trip till late December," I shrugged.

"Alright! Spending the weekend with my best friend." He said laughing happily.

I blushed. "Best friend?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Thanks, Squid. You are mine to." I said, scooting closer to him. "Oh yes, I have something for you." I took a toothpick out of my coat pocket and handed it to him.

"Whoa its real, I didn't rip it off of some wood log with a knife or anything!" He looked at me and did a tough guy nod, "thanks." He said, gaining his tough guy demeanor again.

I smiled. "Hey look, it is our stop." I pointed outside the window to the tents and rides.

"I'm going to have to teach you more slang" He laughed.

"Slang?" I tilted my head side ways. What I said caused him to slap his forehead and laugh afterwards.

We got off the bus and walked to the fairgrounds.


	10. Fairgrounds

Abbey's POV: "I hear later on in the month they'll change this charity fair for the beginning of fall into a Halloween theme." I said walking with Squid looking at all the fair rides before we chose the first one to go on.

"Maybe we should go there to." He nodded, acknowledging what I said. He looked at me. "Want to go on all the lame rides first? We can rate it on a scale of one to ten. Ten being cool and one being stupid."

"Alright." We rode on all the rides that seemed like nothing, each one being less than four. "What now?" I asked following him.

"Let's do some fair games. How much did you bring?" He asked me.

"$25." I said looking into my wallet. Then a jerk from school swished by and stole my wallet right out of my hand. _Right out of my own hand!_ "No! That has a picture of my mother in there! I have to get it back!" I looked at Squid and he was glaring angrily with a look of pure hatred at the boy running off.

I dashed after the boy. I jumped over all obstacles; people trying to trip me, leaf piles, wires, and cords running across the diameter in between booths. I don't know how I'm going to be able to get it back, I'm too weak. All I can do is run after him. I heard loud footsteps beating on the grassy dirt advancing on me. Then Squid passed me by and in a second, the boy was pinned to the ground with a bloody nose. I skid to a stop to avoid impact. Squid was on top of him and after each time I saw Squid's elbow raise and drop, a new bruise or blue bump came up on the guy's face. Blood splattered out of the boy's nose and onto Squid's fist. Squid yanked the wallet out of the boy's hand, and counted how much was in there. He said "25" and then got off of him and gave the wallet back to me, right after kicking him square in the groin. Onlookers watched amused.

I tucked it into my coat pocket and hugged Squid tightly. "Thank you" I said quietly. He smiled and hugged me back, with the arm that wasn't covered in blood. Then I remembered, this is the second time he's beaten some dummkopf up in my defense and he said those blisters were there before he came as a new student in September. _If squeezing his hand hurts then why is he defending me? Why has he always defended me? _Those questions rang around in my head. But I wouldn't dare ask them just yet.


End file.
